Posts Tagged ‘critters and crayons’

It’s rare that my entire family gets together. My sister lives in Texas which makes visits tough. This holiday we had one of those rare chances.. a few very cherished days. My younger sister mandated we get a “Family Photo”. With freezing temps and 5 hyper active grandchildren I was bracing for a high-stress gathering. It was cold and there was some chaos as you can tell– but in the end we were all laughing and so happy that we found the time to capture this time together. Photos by Kai.

Ever since I watched Love Actually I can’t help but look for all the love stories in the airport every time I fly or drop someone off.

It’s something I try to do in my everyday life… when I can take a moment to put down my iPhone or stop whatever I’m doing to sit back, live in the present and really appreciate all the good stuff around me.

I know Valentine’s is a big commercial holiday.. but I still love it. I have great memories of my parents surprising us with yummy treats on Valentine’s morning. It’s something I hope to share with my daughter as she gets older.

Every now and then you come across a story that takes your breath away. One that is so heavy on your heart that it moves you to tears. You can’t stop reading or watching it. Sometimes they are stories of hate, the unthinkable, insurmountable strength and many times love. This is a love story like no other. Many don’t know I have an older sister who lives in Texas. I was deeply touched after she shared the story of Katie- who was born this month… with expectations she would soon die. My sister writes…

During the months leading up to birth, most parents excitedly plan their newborn’s first photo shoot, what matching outfit will be worn home, or maybe what nursery decor will welcome their healthy baby.

Dawn and Michael made funeral arrangements. They selected a casket. They put the coroner’s number on speed dial. They ensured a priest was on stand-by so their daughter could be baptized. They explained to their five year old, that her baby sister will be born, but that she will go to Jesus quickly. They picked out a welcoming outfit. And then they picked one to bury her in.

Katie is an anencephalic baby— nearly 1 in 4,859 babies are born this way. It’s a serious neural tube defect leaving the baby without parts of her brain or skull. Katie has a fleshy notch on her head, a cleft palate, eyelids that failed to separate leaving the 4 pound angel with a bump protruding from where her left eye should be. Despite all this the pictures will show that Katie yawns, grips and even smiles. She is a true warrior. I never knew that this condition existed and have been inspired to learn more about Anencephaly. Katie has already held on for 2 weeks… and I hope you can join me in sending your prayers to her strong family Michael, Dawn and Lina. With that I’ll leave you with some words from my sister.. you can read more from her here…

When Katie’s hardest battle is over, her warrior spirit and small body will be comforted and warmed for eternity in a blanket her mother made for her, that is now filled with the full energy of unexpected memories, undeterred faith, intense gratitude, the ripples of her movement, and transcendant love.